Variations on a Melody
by Rosy-Fingered-Dawn
Summary: A series of one-shots following Artemis and Holly as they continue to affect one another's lives: friendship, romance, and the inevitable conflicts, with character cameos for added zest.
1. A temporary distraction

**Hello, my lovelies! So. I've recently been reading some really excellent AF one-shot/drabble fics, and I've sort of gotten…sucked in…so this is my own (possibly misguided) attempted to control the overwhelming number of ideas that are constantly attacking and distracting me.**

**If you're not aware, I **_**am**_** an A/H shipper, so that will probably be a pretty common theme. I will throw in some other characters (maybe pairings too) to mix things up a little. My ideas will probably be quite random and updates will be erratic, but I will keep writing as long as people want me to and as long as I have things to write about.**

**Also—length of chapters will vary greatly...most won't be this long, and some may even be true drabbles.**

**Disclaimer: **Alas, I do not own these characters. All flaws, however, are mine and mine alone.

_A temporary distraction_

Artemis was starting to wish Holly would visit less often.

Not that he didn't enjoy her company—quite the opposite, in fact—but he was forced to admit that she was becoming a distraction simply by showing up to visit once in a while.

Of course, he had foreseen this possibility. Supremely overconfident as he was, he had still entertained the thought that it was _possible_—ludicrously unlikely, but possible—that he did not have quite as much control over his hormones as he liked to pretend. The fact that his best friend was female, attractive, and relatively close by didn't help much. Apparently this was one of those 'natural' human conditions that not even a genius could escape from.

He glared at his computer screen, as if his troubles were the monitor's fault. Admittedly, he felt slightly ashamed classifying this particular tangle of emotions as 'trouble' when it didn't even crack the top ten of dangerous/ridiculous situations he'd been in—most of them with Holly, of course.

His rational side pointed out that the visits were infrequent at best and his brain would undoubtedly outgrow these uncomfortable bouts of teenage normalcy…but that was hardly helpful at the moment. He was a prodigy, for God's sake. A genius, a mastermind. He categorically _refused_ to be bested by something so hopelessly ordinary.

His endocrine system, however, took no notice.

Artemis drummed his fingers irritably on his desk. Holly herself wasn't helping matters, though he grudgingly admitted that it wasn't _technically_ her fault. Every time he managed to convince himself that he had exaggerated her effect on him she turned up again. _Out of sight, out of mind _clearly did not apply in this case. Just last week she had dropped by on a routine check-in and completely disrupted his entire day.

XXX

She had grinned and punched him in the arm before Butler almost crushed her in a hug. "Please tell me this is just a visit? No rampaging pixies or goblin revolutions?"

Holly smiled. "As close as we're gonna get. Officially, I'm monitoring Artemis to make sure he doesn't have a relapse."

Artemis scowled. "Hardly necessary, Captain. I've been cured for weeks. Your own doctors signed off on it."

She shrugged. "Hey, I don't make the rules. And if it gets me aboveground I don't mind babysitting," she teased.

The boy smiled a little reluctantly. "Of course we are happy to see you, Holly."

It was at that moment that Beckett Fowl came charging around the corner—without pants, naturally. He crashed into Holly, almost knocking her to the floor. "Fairy!" he said brightly.

Holly steadied herself, laughing. "Hello to you, too." Myles followed at a more sedate pace, looking disapproving. "Beckett simple-toon," he commented. Beckett ignored him, dragging Holly behind him and chattering excitedly about what he'd gotten for his last birthday. Myles followed, sighing.

Butler chuckled. "They seem to have adapted pretty well to their new friends, Artemis."

"Yes, I'm pleasantly surprised. At this rate I believe Father is the only one who doesn't know about some of my more…unusual contacts. Though I suppose," he rubbed his forehead, frowning. "I suppose he will have to be told eventually, now that Mother knows."

Butler nodded, but secretly thought that exchange might be a little trickier than a quick conversation.

Artemis had returned to his study, knowing that his brothers would be busy for a while. Now would be a good time to work uninterrupted—perhaps on one of his unfinished symphonies, or the new plans for the theatre he was designing. He had hardly sat down at his desk, however, when Holly had pushed the door open, one hand on her head.

Artemis looked up. "Problems?"

She sighed. "The usual. Beckett got a little excited." She moved her hand and showed him the plastic action figure knotted in her hair.

He guessed immediately what she wanted him to do. "Holly. I am brilliant at many things, but fine motor function is not one of them. Neither is hand-eye coordination."

"Hey, you're not my first choice either. But Butler's in the gym or something and I don't think your brothers can help. And I'd really rather not shave my head, so if you don't mind…?"

He sighed. "Very well. I don't suppose I could make it much worse."

Holly snorted. "Thanks, Mud Boy. That just fills me with confidence." She took his chair (without asking) and tilted the left side of her head toward him. It was certainly an impressive knot.

Artemis shook his head. "How did he manage this? You were gone four minutes."

He heard her laugh. "Your little brothers could give you a run for your money in the 'attracting catastrophes' department, Arty. And in record time, too."

Gingerly, he started trying to unravel the mess. It wasn't easy. Every time he thought he'd managed to untangle part of the toy, he'd come across an even bigger knot. He sighed. This whole situation was hardly helpful for his confusion, Holly-wise. Touching her hair like this felt oddly…intimate, somehow. He had to be careful to avoid accidentally brushing her ears with his fingers. And this close to her, he could smell her, too: sweet and sharp at the same time. Holly, thankfully, was talking, blissfully unaware of his discomfort.

"I knew I shouldn't have grown my hair out. But really, Artemis, a couple of four-year-old humans getting their Transformer-Ranger-thing tangled in it was not on my list of possible downsides!"

"What? Oh. Yes, of course not."

She twisted around in her seat to look at him, ignoring the tugging on her hair. "Artemis, are you even listening? Because I'm pretty sure you just said 'Yes of course not.' And if you did, I will have no choice but to laugh at you."

"Laugh away." He showed her the plastic figure.

Holly's hand went to her hair. "Really? You're done?" She jumped to her feet, pulling on her hair to examine the damage.

"You may have a bit of a headache, but there shouldn't be any need for scissors."

She grinned. "Thanks, Artemis. Maybe next time I play with your brothers I should wear my helmet."

"Hmm? Oh. Yes, perhaps."

Holly studied him. It wasn't like him to be so distracted. "Are you all right?" There wasn't actually a chance of relapse, was there? She didn't think she could take dealing with Orion again. A few months of treatment with that idiot were more than enough for her.

Then Artemis seemed to recover. "Of course, Holly," he said briskly. He led her to the door. "Juliet should be back by now, and I know she was anxious to see you. She won't forgive you if you visit without saying hello to her."

He walked ahead of her downstairs, feeling extremely thankful that fairy empathy did not extend to thoughts.

XXX

Artemis was staring moodily at nothing in particular when his communicator chimed, making him jump. A message from Holly.

_Hey Artemis,_

_Trouble needs me to check out a situation near Tara in a couple of weeks—might need some unofficial consulting help._

_Can I drop by in a few days?_

_No more hairdressing, I promise._

_-Holly_

Artemis's gaze drifted to the stack of sketches and measurements he should be working on. Here was an opportunity to limit his distractions—all he had to do was invent some excuse, and natural distance would do the rest.

His fingers hesitated over the keypad—

_Holly_

_I believe the family will be out of town for much of this week. I am, of course, willing to communicate via text or phone if the LEP requires my help._

_AF_

_Oh, okay. No problem. Just a heads-up: I probably won't be able to get another surface visa for a while—the B'wa Kell are starting to cause some trouble. Pretty routine stuff but they need all hands on deck, so aboveground travel will be minimal. I know Myles was excited about the science fair, so apologize for me if you get the chance._

_Say hi to Butler for me._

_-Holly_

Artemis's stomach twisted guiltily. _A white lie_, he told himself. _This is hardly the worst thing you've done. She'll be back in a few weeks, and in the meantime I might actually get some work done._ He shuffled the drafting papers piled on his desk for another minute, feigning focus, then groaned and reached for his fairy phone.

_I think I may be able to alter our travel plans a little. Wednesday should be clear._

The twins would miss her, he reasoned. Besides, this temporary little set-back was just that—a momentary inconvenience. Perhaps seeing her more often would even help…reducing his response by building up a tolerance, so to speak. Psychologists frequently used exposure therapy. Pleased with this analysis, he returned to his schematics with renewed focus.

_Beep!_

He glanced at the screen—and more specifically the signature—and felt his treacherous heart rate increase slightly.

Damn.

**As always, let me know what you think—like, didn't like, drove you crazy, whatever. My writing is still very much a work in progress, so when you review you not only make me happy that someone was paying attention…you also help me write better! And that means better fanfiction, which is good for everybody;)**

**-Rosy**

**P.S. Happy Independence Day to my American readers!**


	2. Eye of the beholder

**A/N: **Three perspectives on Holly and Artemis literally having part of each other.

**Disclaimer:**

**Artemis: Oh, God. Not you again.**

**Rosy: Ha. You thought you got away.**

**Artemis: Just get on with it.**

**Rosy: Fine, but I'll get you later. *clears throat* Not Eoin Colfer!**

**Artemis: *rolls eyes***

**Rosy: There, all done!**

2) _Eye of the beholder_

XXX

I'll be honest—I'm still not used to it.

I know, I know. Not really my business, right?

But it's hard to explain—I've known her a long time. We've been colleagues, friends maybe, for decades. We trained in the Academy together, laughed at Foaly, complained and grieved about Julius. Then she just ups and vanishes for nearly three years and things get a little different.

I waited for her…we all did. The first six months, we were hopeful. The first year, we were realistic. After that…well, we did our best to stay optimistic. Then she came back.

Things changed—some good. I mean, she'd helped save an entire species from annihilation. Surely that's worth a little time in Limbo. It wasn't even my sacrifice to make, so what right have any of us—particularly me—to feel wronged or hard done-by? None, of course.

Now the guilty part—I still get uncomfortable sometimes when I have to talk to her. She's always been a _warm_ person—her eyes and smile, especially. It sounds ridiculous, but that was the overwhelming impression you'd get—warmth.

That feeling's still there, of course, just not quite the same. Now I look at her, and I see him. That cold blue is a constant reminder that the two of them have something different—not that they'd admit it, of course, but I know: something happened in those three years that weren't years for them, something that makes it pretty obvious what the rest of us were guessing all along.

If I were a writer or something, I'd probably say something happened to them much more important than trading an eye: It's an unmistakable marker that part of her belongs to a different person, a different world altogether.

I see that blue instead of hazel, and I somehow feel like the People are the ones who've lost something.

XXX 

My son has never told me how he got his mismatched eyes.

Over the last few months it has become necessary for him to tell me several things about his recent supernatural activities—ever since that horrid illness, his father and I have made it clear that total secrecy can be dangerous. For the most part he has been forthcoming, but this is one adventure for which he has avoided giving details.

"A friend, Mother," is all he says. "We saved an island. It's a small price to pay, surely?"

And, though I miss the familiarity, I know he's right.

However—I also know my son, and I know that he rarely says exactly what he means.

XXX

Honestly? It doesn't bother me anymore.

Obviously it's a little disconcerting when your best friend suddenly has someone else's eyeball in their head, but this is not the worst thing that could have happened to them in that improvised mess of a time tunnel.

Trust me—I've run the calculations.

I told her a couple weeks ago that the medics might be able to do something about it—a quick and easy operation, no pain or recovery time—but she just smiled, showed me her index finger, and said "Some scars are memories."

I mentioned it to him and he just grinned in that spooky way he has and told me, "I'm afraid I've already won it."

(This is how intelligent people say 'Finders keepers.')

I can't tell if the two of them are showing off or getting sentimental. I _am_ sure that I'm a little nervous.

And, let's face it, happy for them.

Gods help me.

**Just my take on what may have happened right after TLC—'cause that would be a pretty big deal, right? I felt like it should be addressed more, so there you go!**

**I feel like it's pretty clear who the speakers are, but if not I'm sorry for the confusion!**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	3. Family wisdom

**Disclaimer: Really getting tired of having to do one of these every chapter…y'all know the drill. I only own the plot!**

_3. Family wisdom_

As the fading sunset trickled through the windowpanes, Beckett and Myles Fowl lay on the thick carpet of the family room in silence. The former was engaged in a convoluted construction of LEGO pieces, building blocks, and candy wrappers that he swore would look exactly like the manor when he was finished, and the latter was totally absorbed in his insect diagrams, his thin face a mask of concentration.

The tranquil silence didn't last long, of course. The twins lifted their heads as one at the sound of raised voices coming from the general direction of their brother's study. The familiar shouting continued, back and forth, almost too quick to follow. If, that is, they hadn't already been familiar with this particular episode. It happened at least once a month, seemingly on endless repeat. The specifics varied, of course, but not the combatants.

Beckett dropped his LEGO set and Myles paused in his measurements. They knew which part would come next.

CRASH.

The slam of the heavy door seemed to echo accusingly through the vast hallways.

Myles cocked his head. "Artemis?"

"Nooo…" his brother said, shrewdly. "Too angry. Definitely Holly this time."

They heard loud footsteps and more doors thudding (Myles could imagine Angeline's wince at this treatment of the expensive mahogany), and Artemis stormed into view. He almost slammed the door of the sitting room, too, but thought better of it. Instead, he stalked to one of the large windows facing the front lawn, obviously watching for something.

Myles went back to his studies, interest fading. Nothing new. This had been happening for months now, and his scientific curiosity was by now quite gone.

Beckett, on the other hand, looked on in something approaching fascination. Anything that could turn his cool older brother into _this_ was surely something immensely powerful or dangerous. Mum had called it "mood swings", Dad had blamed two quick tempers, and Artemis was refusing to talk about it at all. Had it been anyone but his brilliant older brother it might have been called _sulking_.

The genius in question had by now abandoned his vantage point and slumped into an armchair. Myles spared a moment to look up and pity his older brother. At nine years old, the youngest Fowls were still firmly planted in the "girls have cooties" phase of development, and Myles for one thought with a mixture of sympathy and smugness that Artemis really should have known better.

Artemis, meanwhile, was absentmindedly tracing patterns on the worn fabric. "I don't know what happened this time," he said suddenly, his frustration evident.

Beckett looked knowing as only a nine-year-old could. "Girls," he pronounced.

Myles nodded in rare agreement with his twin. "They are too unpredictable," he explained patiently. "They distract from more important things, like 'speriments."

Though his vocabulary was vast, Myles still occasionally reverted to the mispronunciation of his younger years, to his infinite embarrassment. His parents, of course, found it endearing.

Artemis looked startled. He hadn't really expected advice from his brothers, or even noticed that he had an audience. He sat up, curious and a little apprehensive.

Beckett continued: "I think we're lucky," he said cheerfully, "'cause we don't have to worry about that yet."

Myles blinked contentedly. "More time for science," he smiled.

Artemis glanced at his brothers before dropping his head into his hands. Already he was stubbornly ignoring that part of his brain that was demanding he apologize to her, to make it up, to convince her to come back…

…The problem being that this part was most of him.

"Enjoy it while you can, boys," he said glumly. "I haven't done anything productive in weeks."

Artemis had some vague idea of his brotherly duty to warn the twins about girls—even the human ones were confusing—but in all honesty, he didn't really understand them himself.

Beckett was watching him trustingly, evidently waiting for Artemis to shed some light on the mysteries of females. Suddenly, something occurred to the younger boy that made his forehead knit in confusion.

"You guys are angry, right?"

"Yes."

"And one of you messed up?"

"Ah—yes."

Now the baffling part.

"But she keeps coming back," he said, in evident astonishment.

His brother could only shrug ruefully and say, "I know." 

**So, maybe a **_**leetle**_** OOC, but come on…I have the feeling that if Holly and Artemis did try any kind of relationship it would be tempestuous to say the least. Heck, they're friends and they **_**still**_** fight constantly.**

**I was originally intending for the ending to be funny but…drama happened.**

**Anyway! I hope you are all having a great week, and…may you always defeat your writer's block! *curtsey***

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


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